The present invention relates generally to a tie-down winch which forms a component of a vehicle tie-down system, and more particularly, to a tie-down winch having an improved locking means for securing the winch at a desired location on the deck of a transport.
The tie-down winch of the present invention is generally used in a vehicle tie-down system like a system disclosed, for example, in this inventor's copending application Ser. No. 703,594, filed July 8, 1976. The winch functions to take up a chain that is connected to a vehicle to hold the vehicle on the deck of a transport and is movably mounted to a selected position in a channel that is secured to the deck of the transport.
Tie-down winches have been provided in the past with locking assemblies for engaging the channel or similar structure on the transport to hold the winch in a desired position. The locking assemblies of this type are constructed having a spring loaded movable pin member that is extended into one of the wall openings. To unlock the winch, the user retracts the pin against the force of the spring thereby enabling movement of the winch longitudinally of the channel. A winch having this type of locking mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,222, issued on Mar. 21, 1972.
Locking assemblies with movable components are susceptible to being jammed, have a tendency to wear out quickly in use, and are subject to all the problems associated with mechanisms having moving parts. It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a tie-down winch having an improved locking system for maintaining the winch in a desired position.